Archive for October, 2007

31 October, 2007 | No comments

Safe Christmas Gifts for Kids

With all the toys from China coming over with lead these days, parents and relatives are looking for safe alternatives this Christmas instead of the usual dolls, action figures, cars and other plastic toys that are popular. This Christmas the gifts under the tree are going to look a little different. They will be a mix of college savings bonds, computer software, board games (scrabble and others if not plastic) , clothing, books and anything else not plastic that parents can think of. One  good idea is learning related materials, books, games and software are good because they are fun and functional. If you are researching some new ones and want a free educational software trial this one may be of interest to you if you have kids between the age of 2 and 10. (yes kids use the computer at age 2, they may think its a toy but they use it) CD Earth's Fun with Learning Volume 1 is an educational software CD packed with 70 learning activities for kids ages 2-10. The CD has 70 engaging, educational activities and games. They cover topics including math, reading, typing, science, computer literacy, geography, art & music. Each activity has several levels that automatically adjust to a child's growing abilities to help them get ahead. It sounds better than guessing about what has lead and what doesn't and getting the kids to play educational games is always a good thing.

31 October, 2007 | No comments

My Mystical Second life

Echo ( your Blog writer)has very few serene places she can go to meditate. Her meditation practice is usually constricted to the privacy of her own room. In college she was able to take Mystical and meditation classes and enjoy having a group to meditate with. Now, with no meditation centers in her town, she is currently without group support.

Sicily Heartsdale, on the other hand, can go to Mystical Academy to learn about integral yoga, being Indigo, meditation, tarot, Wicca and so much more. She can also fly ( not in an airplane) to Owo kun island where she can go on a shamanic journey and meditate around an ocean filled with fish and dolphins.

While Echo has no means to leave Chicagoland, Sicily who is a less than two weeks years old was African dancing in Africa only a few days and took a boat ride in italy.

If you haven't realized that Sicily is my virtual identity than you are probably not a Second lifer. If You are a SL resident than you already  know that  there are limitless and amazing experiences to be had in the virtual realm. If you are not familiar with the program Second Life - it is a virtual world created by its residents ( players).

Now I know you are wondering: what Second life has to do with spirituality? Well, it has nothing to do with it. Except that  for some reason mystics seem to be drawn to Second life. Second life is filled with classes, events, resources , places and groups for us mystics. There are Pagan, Buddhist, Christian and Yogi groups( I have never meditated more because there are so many virtual meditation classes). There are Witch malls, Temples and places for spiritual activism. In fact two days ago in SL, I was at a Burma event and there was  aspeaker from Amnesty International!

As if were the astral plane itself, the options are seemly endless in the virtual world. So, I recommend it for anyone who  wants to gather with people of like spiritual minds.

I will be creating a page soon with my Second Life recommendations...

To Second Life

31 October, 2007 | No comments

Oct 29, 07 - Nanda’s Island - New FREE Game Download

Hi! Check out the new FREE game for today - Nanda's Island :

In this fun brain teaser game, you have to guide water drops to thirsty flowers. In order to finish a level successfully, it is necessary for minimum amount of water to reach its respective destination. The Bonus Shop raises the value of replaying Nanda's Island: the player can exchange so called Friend Coins on the merchant's boat to make Nanda's island even more beautiful and livelier.

Comes with a cute Panda too... ;)

 

Download & Play it FREE here

Download more Puzzle Games here

 

29 October, 2007 | No comments

My alter ego(s)

Okay, I agree-I have entered the world of warcraft at a time when most people are so experienced that I had a sense of great foreboding that I would be disregarded as a n00b. But the journey had to begin…and it did. Before you go on, let me tell you that this is not a guide of any sort. I just included some explanations where required. If there is a term that you do not understand, just go to www.wowwiki.com, and search for it.

WoW (no-the capitalization is fine) brought promise to act out a fantasy in my heart of living life as an elf, warcraft style. A Night Elf to be more precise, since I started with the trail version, I could not choose to be a Blood Elf. I probably would have given preference to Night elves even if I had the option to choose their fair skinned bloodthirsty (or rather, mana-thirsty) cousins. Race issues settled, I had to think about a class. I always wanted a pet, and though I like the idea of being a druid or warrior better, it was the ability to have a faithful companion that made me choose ‘Hunter’ as my class. And thank god, for it suited my play-style perfectly.

 

Thus began my journey in Azeroth, where I was the protagonist in a land filled with over 7 million people. That is the beauty of the game’s design-it makes you feel you are the most important character even when you know there are at least another five thousand on your server (called ‘Realms’)feeling the same way!

 

As I got the full version, I came across the wonder that is the Alliance Auction House (AH). The same principles apply for the Horde AH too. But that is what holds the most complicated part of the whole warcraft economy. Gold farmers have driven the prices of epic items to obscene prices, and many kinds of equipment are quite legally supposed to be expensive are, well – expensive.

 

That was only my initiation at how complicated things were in this world. Soon I discovered I had to pay a lot more attention to my armor, my trade skills, my weapon’s stats and upgrade where necessary to stay on top of my game. It was more than mindless killing or time-bound quests most RPG fare consists of. It was a game where a carefully coordinated effort can see you outlive the monster you are trying to slay, if only by a single health point. And then, because I was a hunter, I had to look after the stats of my faithful companion too – YES, I am talking about my pet!

Contrary to my fears, I found the high level players to be extremely helpful. A fact that proved to enhance its truth after I joined a ‘Guild’. Guilds are basically “clans” form other games, but so much more that that. Higher members gave me advice and helped me with free stuff on more than one occasion. As my level started to rise, I paid back by helping new members of the guild get through difficult low level situations and donating stuff that I would not need, but would be a valuable addition to a low level character’s gear or inventory. The guild is your extended family, and as it happens everywhere, the older people look after the kids.

 

As I start inching towards the highest levels of the game, I now need to pay more attention to my gear and especially what stats they are affecting. For as I so painfully realized, my mana capacity was awfully low, enough to put a hunter five levels below me to shame. My ‘agility’, the most important component of a hunter’s stats was uber for my level, but while concentrating on agility, I had forgotten to consider the other aspects like stamina and intellect, which have a bearing on your health and mana capacity respectively. So now, I am busy hunting for gear to give me the right mix of stats, and as expected, my guild members are helping a lot. I have reached a stage when free stuff is no longer expected or dished out, so all guidance I get at this stage is invaluable. I have to be ready with proper gear as Onyxia is now within reach, and I have nothing on me worthy of being called “Raid Gear”

In the meantime, I also created a few more characters, notably a Gnome Warlock and an Orc Warrior. I realized I love warriors as much as I love hunters, despite the huge differences in playing style. The warlock is a pure spellcaster and any attempt to use weapons is pure insanity. It is a playing style that I am still learning to adapt to and definitely enjoying every bit of it!

29 October, 2007 | No comments

P2 Lecture 1 ppt-notes

Here are the PowerPoint lecture notes for the Lecture 1:
[slideshare id=147756&doc=p2-lecture-1-1193554533143466-5&w=425]

29 October, 2007 | No comments

Exolon DX

Muito se fala ultimamente em retrogaming e a verdade é que com os preços actuais este tipo de jogos pode proporcionar imensas horas de gozo por um preço irrisório ou até mesmo gratuitamente.

Este fim de semana é fim de semana de Exolon DX, um remake do clássico Exolon do spectrum do final dos anos 80. Está muito bem feito, com gráficos mais modernos mas mantendo a jogabilidade da altura. É freeware e está disponível para Windows e Mac, nada mau...

29 October, 2007 | No comments

Look at me Ma!

29 October, 2007 | No comments

Oct 27, 07 - Hidden Relics - New FREE Game Download

Hi! Today's FREE game is Hidden Relics, a beautiful hi-resolution graphics Hidden Object Game:

Help the Professor track down 100`s of stolen antiques as you travel the globe to retrieve priceless antiques and hidden artifacts.

 

Download & Play it FREE here

Download more Puzzle games here

Have a great weekend!

26 October, 2007 | No comments

Virtual wars and your child’s future this christmas

Here's something to think about this Christmas, when many of your children will be begging you for the latest computer game titles such as World in Conflict or Crysis. These are a new generation of superbly realistic experiences of military conflict. In one sense they are safe, because no one is actually harmed, yet in another, they are very dangerous.

While psychologists are seemingly yet to exert enough pressure to have them banned (if they are even trying, I don't know), many children will spend hundreds of hours participating in invasions, wars and 'peacekeeping missions' of all descriptions. They will put soldiers to sleep with darts then creep up on them and shoot them in the back of the head, point blank. They will learn the art of killing with cold detachment. They will learn to reason based on orders and objectives and lose a part of reality, in which all people have precious lives and violence is never the answer.

What this means, worst of all, is thay they will be converted to the idea that human nature is negative, and that we are doomed to a future of war. Our children will believe more in the power of technology and war than in their own inner power to bring about positive change, call that what you will.

America's military has even been known to sponsor games such and use them as recruiting tools. They are not looking for patriots, they are looking for skillful killers and adrenaline junkies.

No doubt your children will be expecting one of the recently released games - that have new levels of graphical realism. Take a moment to think about the possible effects on your child, and the future repercussions for all children in the world in generations to come. And their mothers.

Choose from titles which are not based on reality. No doubt your children already demand explosive gun-weilding action in their games. Choose fantasies like Unreal Tournament 3 or Halo. Choose thrillers like Bioshock. Do not choose Crysis, World in Conflict... just read the back of the box to see who your kid will be shooting at. Makes sure they are not real, identifiable nationalities: past, present or future. For God's sake.

If you are involved in the video games industry, please have a think about games that will be exciting and engaging enough to kids without desensitising them to war. The war stories these kids are normalising hell while we are doing our best to bring heaven to earth.

26 October, 2007 | No comments

A Pro Evolution Soccer Goodbye!

As football fans around Britian get ready for Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, the first game featuring new commentators Mark Lawrenson and Jon Champion, heres a classic moment from the infamous Peter Brackley and Trevor Brooking before they hand on their mikes to the new boys.

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